Wingspan Asia

2022

Dive into the avian world of Asia with Wingspan Asia! A standalone game, original Wingspan expansion, and a 6-7 player flock mode, it offers a spectrum of exciting gameplay.

70
minutes

1 - 2
player(s)

10+

Medium

About the game

Wingspan Asia is an immersive, strategic board game that transports players into the versatile world of Asian avifauna. This game is set in the sprawling landscapes of Asia, teeming with a variety of exotic bird species. The game beautifully integrates a balance of strategy, luck and knowledge, making it a unique and captivating addition to the board game universe.

The core mechanics of Wingspan Asia revolve around the accumulation of bird cards, which represent the many bird species found across Asia. Each card carries a particular set of abilities, relating to the bird’s specific traits in real life. The abilities include the power to gather food resources, lay eggs, or even attract other birds. The strategic placement of these bird cards throughout the game forms an essential part of the gameplay, as they can trigger powerful chain reactions that enhance your actions in the game.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Wingspan Asia is an exciting expansion to the popular Wingspan board game. It introduces a whole new continent of birds to your games, with new mechanics and components. Here are the main components of the game:

1. Bird Cards

81 New Bird Cards: These represent the various species of birds found in Asia. Each bird card has its own set of characteristics, including habitat, food cost, points, and special abilities. Players will play these bird cards into their aviaries to attract different species and earn points.

2. Bonus Cards

5 New Bonus Cards: Bonus cards give players additional objectives to aim for during gameplay, offering extra points at the end of the game if the conditions on the card are met. These new cards introduce even more strategic options and replayability to the game.

3. Food Tokens

4 New Food Tokens: Food tokens represent the different types of foods that birds eat. Players must collect the correct types of food tokens to play their bird cards. The new food tokens in this expansion add more variety and complexity to the food economy of the game.

4. Player Mats

1 New Player Mat: The player mat acts as a player’s game board, where they will place their bird cards and food tokens. The new player mat in this expansion features an Asian landscape to match the theme of the game.

5. Eggs

15 Egg Tokens: Eggs are a vital resource in Wingspan. Players must lay eggs on their bird cards to score points and perform certain actions. The egg tokens in this expansion feature a new color, adding to the visual appeal of the game.

6. Dice

5 Custom Dice: The dice in Wingspan are used to determine available food in the birdfeeder. The custom dice in this expansion feature new symbols representing the new types of food tokens introduced in the game.

7. Other Components

1 Scorepad: The scorepad is used to keep track of players’ scores throughout the game. It features the same beautiful artwork as the rest of the game components.

1 Rulebook: The rulebook contains all the rules and instructions for playing the game. It also features additional information about the real-life birds featured in the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Wingspan Asia is an exciting expansion to the popular board game, Wingspan. Before beginning the game, it’s important to understand how to set it up properly. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

1. Set up the Game Board:

Place the game board in the center of the table. The game board includes a bird tray, birdfeeder dice tower, and various habitats (forest, grassland, and wetland).

2. Prepare the Bird Cards:

Shuffle the bird cards and place them in a deck face down on the bird tray. Draw the top three cards and place them face up in the display spaces.

3. Sort the Food Tokens and Eggs:

Sort the food tokens (invertebrate, seed, fish, fruit, and rodent) into separate piles and place them next to the board. Do the same with the multi-colored egg tokens.

4. Prepare the Dice:

Place all five dice in the birdfeeder dice tower. The dice results represent the available food in the birdfeeder.

5. Player Roles:

Each player chooses a color and takes a player mat, action cubes (in their chosen color), and a set of 8 bonus cards. The player who most recently saw a bird goes first.

6. Initial Resources:

Each player starts with five bird cards, five food tokens (one of each type), and one bonus card. They can keep all or discard any number of bird cards and food tokens, but for each bird card they keep, they must discard one food token.

7. Random Elements:

After everyone has chosen their initial cards and resources, place the first player token (the birdhouse) in front of the first player. The first round begins with this player.

8. Objective Cards:

Shuffle the objective cards and place them on the corresponding spaces on the game board. Turn the top card of each deck face up.

9. End of Round Goals:

Place one goal mat next to the bird tray. Shuffle the goal tiles and place one face up on each section of the goal mat.

10. Begin the Game:

The game is now ready to start! The first player begins by taking one action: play a bird, gain food, lay eggs, or draw bird cards. Play passes to the left.

Game flow Round and round we go

Wingspan Asia is a captivating board game that involves various phases and rounds. The game is structured in four rounds, each round comprises of a series of turns. Each player’s turn in a round involves one of three possible actions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the phases and actions involved in ‘Wingspan Asia’.

Beginning of the Game: At the start of the game, each player will receive a number of bird cards, food tokens, and a personal board. The food tokens and bird cards are selected randomly.

First Phase: Bird Cards Selection: Every player begins by selecting bird cards from the cards they received at the start. The remaining cards are placed at the bottom of the bird deck. Players also receive food tokens corresponding to the bird habitats on their boards.
Second Phase: Taking Turns: Starting from the first player and continuing clockwise, each player takes a turn. A turn consists of one of three possible actions:
- Play a Bird Card: A player can choose a bird card from their hand and place it on their board in the corresponding habitat. This action requires expenditure of food tokens.
- Gain Food: A player can choose to gain food tokens. The number of tokens gained depends on the position of the action cube in the food track.
- Lay Eggs: A player can choose to lay eggs on birds. The number of eggs laid is determined by the position of the action cube in the bird track.
Third Phase: End of Round: After all players have taken turns and the action cubes cannot be moved further, the round ends. Players count the number of birds, eggs, and food tokens they have. The player with the highest total wins the round and receives a bonus card.
Fourth Phase: Next Round: All players retrieve their action cubes, and a new round begins. The game continues in this manner for four rounds.

At the end of the fourth round, the player with the most points, calculated from birds, bonus cards, end of round goals, eggs, food tokens, and tucked cards, wins the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game Wingspan Asia, players take turns to perform actions with the aim of attracting birds to their network of wildlife preserves. On each turn, a player may choose between several actions, each offering different strategic advantages. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these actions:

1. Play a Bird:

Playing a bird involves selecting one from your hand and placing it in a habitat on your player mat. Each bird has a habitat preference (forest, grassland, or wetland) and a food cost which you must pay from your supply.

Strategic Choices: The bird cards come with various powers that activate either when played, when another action is taken in the same habitat, or at the end of a round. Choosing which bird to play and when depends on your overall game strategy. You might want to choose birds that synergize well with your other birds or objectives.

2. Gain Food:

This action involves rolling dice in the birdfeeder and collecting food tokens. The number of tokens you can collect, and the types of food available, depend on the dice roll.

Strategic Choices: Choosing this action allows you to gather the necessary resources to play more birds. You might choose this action if you have birds in your hand that you can’t play due to a lack of food, or if you anticipate needing certain food types in the future.

3. Lay Eggs:

Laying eggs involves placing egg tokens on bird cards in your habitats. The number of eggs you can lay depends on the number of birds you have in the grassland habitat.

Strategic Choices: Eggs are essential for playing birds in certain habitats and also contribute to your final score. Therefore, you might want to prioritize this action if you’re planning to play birds in the grassland habitat or if you’re aiming for a high-scoring strategy.

4. Draw Bird Cards:

Drawing bird cards involves taking new bird cards from the deck or from a display of face-up cards. The number of cards you can draw depends on the number of birds you have in the wetland habitat.

Strategic Choices: Drawing bird cards gives you more options for playing birds and can help you adapt to changing game conditions. You might choose this action if you need more birds to play or if you’re looking for birds with specific powers or habitats.

The decisions a player makes on their turn in Wingspan Asia can greatly impact their overall strategy and the course of the game. By carefully choosing their actions and adapting to the game’s evolving conditions, players can optimize their scores and increase their chances of winning.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Wingspan Asia’ concludes after four rounds, each signified by the depletion of the action cubes from the action area of each player’s board. The final round ends when all players have used up all their actions, and no player has any action cubes left in their action area.

Victory Conditions:

The player with the highest total points at the end of the game is declared the victor. Points are accumulated through various means:

Bird Cards: Each bird card has a specific point value. At the end of the game, the points from all bird cards a player has played are added to the player’s score.
Bonus Cards: Players receive points from their bonus cards depending on the specific criteria detailed on each card.
End-of-Round Goals: Points are awarded based on players’ performances in end-of-round goals. The player who performs the best in each goal is awarded the highest points, with second and third best performers also earning points.
Eggs, Cached Food, and Tucked Cards: Players receive points for each egg on their bird cards, each food token cached on bird cards, and each card tucked under a bird card.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before the final scoring, players must perform the following actions:

Count Bird Cards: Players must count the total number of bird cards they have played and multiply this number by the point value of each bird card.
Review Bonus Cards: Players must review their bonus cards and calculate the extra points they have earned based on the criteria of each card.
Evaluate End-of-Round Goals: Players must evaluate their performance in the end-of-round goals and add the corresponding points to their score.
Add Points for Eggs, Cached Food, and Tucked Cards: Players must count the number of eggs on their bird cards, the food tokens cached on their bird cards, and the cards tucked under bird cards. Each of these counts is then added to the player’s score.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Wingspan Asia’, players accumulate points in a variety of ways. The scoring system is comprehensive and rewards strategic play, allowing for multiple paths to victory. The following provides a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

1. Bird Cards

Each bird card in a player’s habitat has a point value. These points are tallied and added to the player’s overall score at the end of the game. A bird’s point value is indicated on the card itself.

2. Bonus Cards

At the start of the game, each player is dealt a bonus card. This card provides a unique scoring opportunity for the player, which is calculated at the end of the game. The criteria and point values vary from card to card.

3. End Round Goals

There are four rounds in Wingspan Asia. At the beginning of each round, a goal is revealed. Players can earn points by fulfilling these goals, which relate to the birds in their habitats. The points earned are added to the end-round goal mat.

4. Eggs

Eggs are a source of points in Wingspan Asia. Each egg in a player’s habitat at the end of the game is worth one point.

5. Food Cached on Cards

Some bird abilities allow players to cache food on their cards. At the end of the game, each food item cached on a bird card is worth one point.

6. Cards Tucked under other Cards

Some bird abilities allow players to tuck cards under them. Each tucked card is worth one point at the end of the game.

In the event of a tie, the player with the most unused food tokens wins. If there is still a tie, then the player with the most total bird cards in their hand and in their play area wins. If a tie still persists, then the players share the victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Wingspan Asia is an expansion to the popular board game Wingspan, which focuses on the beautiful and diverse birds of Asia. This expansion introduces new bird cards, bonus cards, and more. However, it also comes with its own unique rules, exceptions, and clarifications. Understanding these is crucial to fully enjoy the game.

1. New Bird Powers: Many of the new bird cards in Wingspan Asia come with new powers. These powers are not found in the base game and can dramatically change your strategy.

End of Game Powers: Some bird cards have powers that activate at the end of the game. These powers can provide additional points or other benefits, but they only activate once the game is over.
Once Between Turns Powers: Other bird cards have powers that can be used once between turns. These powers are activated when certain conditions are met and can be used regardless of whose turn it is.

2. New Bonus Cards: Wingspan Asia introduces new bonus cards that provide additional ways to score points. These bonus cards reward players for attracting certain types of birds, building certain types of habitats, and more. However, these bonus cards are optional and players can choose whether or not to use them.

3. Rule Clarifications: Wingspan Asia also comes with a few rule clarifications to help players understand the game better.

Bird Cards: If a bird card’s power allows it to move to another habitat, it does not activate the new habitat’s action. Also, a bird card’s power that triggers when played only activates once, when the card is initially played.
Bonus Cards: Bonus cards that reward players for the number of birds in a specific habitat count all birds in that habitat, regardless of whether the birds are tucked, on top of, or below other cards.
End of Game: At the end of the game, players should count their points from bird cards, bonus cards, end-of-round goals, eggs, cached food, and tucked birds. Players do not lose points for unused food or cards in their hand.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Consider synergies between birds when choosing which ones to play. Some birds have powers that can trigger off each other, creating powerful combinations.
Watch your opponents’ strategies and adapt accordingly. If you see them focusing on a particular habitat, try to compete in that habitat or focus on others where you can dominate.
Don’t underestimate the power of end-of-round goals. They can provide a significant boost to your score if you plan for them from early on.

Beginner Tips:

Start by focusing on gathering food and laying eggs. These are the fundamental resources needed to play more birds.
Try to play birds with when-activated powers early in the game. This will allow you to make the most use of their abilities.
Keep an eye on the end-of-round goals and try to fulfill them. They are an easy source of points especially for beginners.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t ignore the bird powers. While it can be tempting to just play the birds with the highest point values, the bird powers can provide significant advantages if used wisely.
Avoid focusing solely on one habitat. Diversifying across different habitats can provide more opportunities for scoring points.
Don’t forget about the end-of-round goals. It’s easy to get caught up in your own strategy and forget about these, but they can make a big difference in the final score.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your turns ahead. Having a clear strategy for your next few turns can help you make more efficient use of your actions.
Balance your resources. Make sure you always have enough food and eggs to play the birds you want, but also try to keep some resources in reserve for flexibility.
Keep an eye on your opponents. By anticipating their moves, you can plan your own actions to counter them and stay ahead.